What Is The Adarna Bird?
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Adarna Bird (Ibong Adarna)
Well, for those that haven't, don't worry, neither had I. As a lifelong birdwatcher and ornithologist I was a little surprised at that, but when I discovered that the Adarna Bird is a mythical creature from an epic piece of Philippine literature it became obvious why I had not come across it in any bird book.
As befits a mythical bird, the Adarna Bird is described as being fantastically beautiful and possessing a fabulous and varied song which has magical qualities. To me all birds have magical qualities but here in this lens you can find out exactly what supernatural powers the Adarna Bird has, get an idea of the story and take a look at Adarna Bird material around the web.
If you prefer to look at real birds as opposed to mythical birds then maybe this lens will satisfy you: 10 Bird Video Clips You Must See.
The Adarna Bird; A Collection Of Magical Facts

The legend of the mythical Adarna Bird tells that it is a very beautiful bird with a very long tail. It has metallic colours which change to a more beautiful shade after the bird defecates!
"Considering how often birds defecate, the Adana bird must be like flashing Christmas lights. Birds have to frequently defecate in order to keep their body weight low for flight."
The legend of the Adarna Bird also says that it has seven fantastic songs that can make anyone fall asleep and cure all ills.
"Many real birds have a variety of calls which can declare territories, warn of danger, contact others, be a sign of affection etc. basically birds have language. Perhaps the bird with the most fabulous voice in real life is the Lyrebird".
Unfortunately, the Adarna Bird possesses a harmful magical power - its droppings can turn a human into stone!.
"As if getting covered in bird poop isn't bad enough."
Here Are Some Adarna Bird Books
There are a few books available on Amazon.com which are based on the story of the Philippine legend of the Adarna Bird.
Adarna Bird / Ibong Adarna Story
The Adarna Bird is an epic piece of Filipino literature.The Story in Short
It tells the story of three princes who are sent by their father, who is the king, to catch the Adarna Bird so that the king can hear the bird's magical song and be cured of his illnesses. The youngest prince, Don Juan, was successful in capturing the Adarna Bird. However, on their way back to the palace, the three princes encounter many further adventures and mysterious incidents. Of course, there is romance in the story with a marriage to a beautiful princess.
A longer and more detailed synopsis of Ibong Adarna can be read at the website of Tanghalang Slu: Center for the Culture and the Arts.
Ibong Adarna
Ibong Adarna: Corrido at Buhay na Pinagdaanan nang tatlong Principeng Magcacapatid na Anac nang Haring Fernando at nang Reina Valeriana sa Cahariang Berbania
Amazon Price: $11.41 (as of 02/15/2012)![]()
This book contains the complete legend of the Adarna bird in Tagalog, the native language of The Philippines.
Adarna Bird/Ibong Adarna Trailer
As one would expect from a well-known piece of epic literature, there are many dramatisations of the Adarna Bird story. This is a trailer for an animated version of the story of the mythical Adarna Bird from The Philippines.
The Habitat of the Adarna Bird
The Adarna Bird could, apparently, only be found on the slopes of Mount Tabor. I cannot find any reference to a Mount Tabor in The Philippines, only one in Israel: Mount Tabor, Israel.The Adana Bird seems to be very particular in its habits, only being found in the Piedras Platas (silver stones) tree in the evening where it sings it mythical songs and poops on people's heads! During the daytime the Adarna Bird disappears to some unkown part of the forest - perhaps it migrates to Israel?
With these peculiar habits it is no wonder that the Adarna Bird is a mythical one, with this sort of ecology it would be doomed to join the list of extinct birds.
Adarna Bird Popsicle Stick Puppets
A cute version of the Adarna Bird story by schoolchildren using puppets made out of popsicle sticks - nice idea. Some more uses for old popsicle sticks can be found here: How to Reuse Popsicle Sticks
Adarna Bird T Shirt
Limited edition T-shirt with original Adarna Bird design: Adarna Bird T-shirt at Design By Humans
Adarna Bird Trading Card/Trump Card
The Adarna Bird has its own Pantik trading/trump card game: Adarna Bird Trading Card. I used to have similar games to this when I was a boy; my favourite was the top trumps cowboys!
Another Piece of Adarna Bird Artwork
Another interesting piece of artwork based on the story of Ibong Adarna can be seen on this gallery: Adarna Bird Art.
Was The Adarna Bird News To You?
Ibong Adarna eBay Auctions
Ibong Adarna Links
- Ibong Adarna / Adarna: The Mythical Bird (1997)
- Discussing the Cartoon of Ibong Adarna.
- A different Adarna
- Students extrapolate the Adarna Bird story.
- Ibong Adarna - English Version
- A version of the story in English.
- Songs from ADARNA The Mythical Bird
- A list of songs from the 1997 cartoon.
- Adarna Bird Art
- Adarna Bird painted onto a t-shirt.
- More Adarna Bird Art
- Another painting of the Adarna Bird.
- Even More Adarna Bird Art
- Another Adarna bird graphic.
- Ibong Adarna Comic
- Delve into an Adarna bird comic book.
Thanks For Visiting The Adarna Bird Lens
Did you know what the Adarna Bird was before reading? Did you find what you were looking for here? Please leave a comment or question.
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jeremykim2011
Jan 27, 2012 @ 3:45 am | delete
- I remember high school. Thanks for sharing!
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Steve_Kaye
Dec 11, 2011 @ 1:11 am | delete
- I wonder if I can add this bird to my life list now that I've seen it here. (Then again, maybe not.)
Thank you for making this beautiful lens.
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BlixJIN GEMINI
Aug 3, 2011 @ 7:43 am | delete
- I'm so happy to hear the song...
i really like it!!!
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Ramkitten
May 6, 2011 @ 8:59 am | delete
- I saw one of these in my backyard just this morning! I swear!
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nickupton
May 6, 2011 @ 9:02 am | delete
- LOL. You must live on Mount Tabor then?
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My Sunbirds Are Real!
The Adarna bird is a mythical creature that no one is likely to see. However, the Olive-backed Sunbirds in my yard are easy to see and fun to watch as they go about their business.
About The Lens Author
by nickupton
I have been a bird-lover my whole life but I had never heard of the Adarna bird. When I found out about it, I just had to make an Adarna bird lens.
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